The Stephen Joseph Theatre is in Scarborough, North Yorkshire, England. It was the first theatre-in-the-round in Britain and was created by Stephen Joseph, who first conceived this style of staging. The original theatre was in the Old Library, but subsequently moved in 1996 to the converted Odeon building close by. There are two stage spaces: The Round and The McCarthy. The Round, designed by Alan Ayckbourn, seats over 400 in a traditional configuration. The Round is however, flexible, and work can be presented in thrust or end-on configurations. Traverse performances and cabaret seating onstage can be added to accommodate certain performances. The McCarthy is a 165 seater space in a fixed end-on configuration which can also be used for cinema screenings.
Next Stage has toured to Stephen Joseph Theatre twice. The first time was in March 2000 when the company produced David Hare’s Skylight. The second visit was in March 2001 with Dennis Potter’s Blue Remembered Hills. On both occasions Sir Alan and Lady Ayckbourn were in the audience.
